


All Creatures Great and Small

by Anjion



Series: Newsie Oneshots [21]
Category: Newsies (1992)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:34:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28089330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anjion/pseuds/Anjion
Summary: A newsie tells a little about his love of animals...
Series: Newsie Oneshots [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1855177





	All Creatures Great and Small

**Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies, sadly, they belong to Disney. Mac, however, is my own creation. Please read and review!**

* * *

I love animals. I always have. I'm especially fond of cats and dogs, but I get on with pretty much any species (except sewer rats; they carry too many diseases). I'm even OK with spiders, and am usually the one called on when one appears in the Lodging House. After all, a spider is still an animal.

_**All creatures great and small.** _

I grew up around animals. My family was part of a large family of travellers, and everyone had at least one dog and one horse or pony. Two or three had a handful of mice, and my uncle had a very intelligent parrot (or was it a cockatoo?). There was even a man with a huge great snake, and a very friendly monkey that liked to ride on everyone's shoulder, especially mine. So you can see how I came to love animals!

_**All creatures great and small.** _

I loved that monkey, but sadly, he died when I was 6. I remember thinking about him when, two years later, I found myself lost and alone on the streets of Manhattan. (The rest of the camp upped and left one day, accidentally leaving me behind.) But that same day, as if by design, a little bird with an injured wing fell out of the sky in front of me, so I had something to keep my mind off my hopeless situation until I was welcomed into the fold of the Newsies.

_**All creatures great and small.** _

None of my fellow Newsies have anything against animals (except Snoddy, who's allergic to them, but then, he's allergic to _everything_ ), but none of them have the same bond that I share with them. I can calm a nervous puppy with a touch, I can gain the trust of a cat by giving her space and love, and prevent a spooked horse from bolting with a firm hand and gently murmured words in the ear. Although that particular horse kicked me. Hard.

_**All creatures great and small.** _

If we were allowed to keep pets in the Lodging House, I reckon I could guess which pet some of the boys would have. I'd have a dog – as would Jack, Boots, and Crutchy – because they're gentle, loyal and playful, but also fierce and protective. I know that Specs is quite partial to cats, especially grey ones, ginger-and-white ones, and tortoiseshells. Snipes would probably have a monkey, if it were possible to get his hands on one – he is, after all, a little monkey himself – and Mac would have two white mice. But then again, that would be unfair on the animals, because we barely make enough money to feed _ourselves_ , let alone a _pet_. But that doesn't mean we can't _pretend_.

_**All creatures great and small.** _

So, I may be a rather quiet boy, but that's the best thing to be around the animals that I love and will never stop loving. And I know that, as long as I am gentle and kind to them, the animals will always be happy to be near me and keep me company.

I am Bumlets, and I love animals, I always have and always will.

_**All creatures great and small.** _


End file.
